Vending apparatus providing bulk or bagged ice

ABSTRACT

An ice vending apparatus and self contained building for making, bagging, and delivering a user sealed bag or bulk amount of ice to a consumer. A conveyor is placed beneath an ice crusher and is constructed and arranged to deliver ice to a bagger holder and, depending upon the election of the consumer, the ice is either directed to a bagger and delivered through a bagger chute, or directed to a bulk chute where the consumer uses their own receptacle. The building is specifically designed for the vending apparatus and is capable of handling hurricane force winds and is sized to place all components within an environment having a uniform temperature.

PRIORITY CLAIM

In accordance with 37 C.F.R. 1.76, a claim of priority is included in anApplication Data Sheet filed concurrently herewith. Accordingly, thepresent invention claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/912,942, entitled “VENDING APPARATUS PROVIDING BULK OR BAGGEDICE”, filed Dec. 6, 2013. The contents of which the above referencedapplication is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to ice vending machines and,more specifically, to an automated ice vending apparatus for dispensinga prescribed volume of ice by bag or in bulk to a consumer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ice is used for countless purposes. Most common is the basic need of icefor cooling off fluids and assuring that food does not spoil. The icemight be used for a party, a picnic, fishing, or any countless purpose.The problem with ice is that it must be maintained in a controlledenvironment or it will melt. Most residential homes are not equipped formaking anything other than a small amount of ice; the limitation beingthe production and limited storage. Nor is it economically feasible fora homeowner to purchase and maintain a commercial ice maker and freezer.For these and numerous other reasons, the commercial production of iceremains pervasive in the industry. Bagged ice can be purchased at mostany grocery or convenience store. Stand-alone ice vending machines arealso well known in the industry.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,986,897, issued in 1961, discloses an ice vendingmachine having a means for vending a predetermined amount of ice on eachactuation of the coin operating device.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,668 discloses a coin operated vending machine fordispensing a predetermined quantity of ice.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,317,082 discloses an ice vending machine with a bagdelivery cycle.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,807,193 discloses an ice dispensing apparatus thatincludes a conveying means for moving the ice cubes toward an icedelivery chute. A supply of empty bags is delivered along supportingtracks toward a position beneath the ice delivery chute. The tracksconverge inwardly beneath the chute, and the bottom member in the icechute is downwardly swingable into a bag so ice cubes can drop throughthe chute and into the opened bag. When the bag has been filled, theconveying means is de-activated and the chute bottom is swung upwardlyto a closed position.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,477 discloses a vending machine that dispenseseither purified ice or purified water in predetermined quantities inresponse to a fixed payment by a user. The machine consists ofcompartmentalized sections for each specific function, comprising awater purification and storage portion, an ice making portion, an icestorage portion, and a product dispensing and control portion.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,539 discloses an ice making and bagging vendingmachine for delivering a sealed bag of ice to a consumer.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,735,527, and related U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,932,124;7,104,291; 7,426,945; 7,806,152; 8,245,488; and 8,561,655 disclose anice vending apparatus that includes a holding vessel, an ice meteringdevice, an ice transferring device, and a device for facilitating themovement of ice through an aperture for dispensing of ice cubes.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,468,784 discloses an ice bagging system and methodaccording to which ice is automatically dispensed in respective bagsprovided from a first source of bags, and ice is automatically dispensedin respective bags provided from a second source of bags.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,528,302 discloses an ice bagging assembly for fillingbags of ice for retail-commercial sales.

While the prior art has disclosed ice vending apparatus, each of thedevices are derived from ice makers wherein the control mechanism mustbe either integrated into the ice maker or becomes dependent upon theparticular ice maker design. What the applicant presents is an improvedice vending apparatus providing bulk or bagged ice from most any icemaking apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention discloses an ice vending apparatus placed within aself contained building for making, bagging, and delivering a usersealed bag or bulk amount of ice to a consumer. The consumer deposits anamount of money into a controller wherein the apparatus is directed toeither fill a bag or provide ice in bulk. A conveyor is placed beneathan ice crusher and is constructed and arranged to deliver ice to a scalefor weighing and, depending upon the election of the consumer, the iceis either directed to a bagger and delivered through a bagger chute, ordirected to a bulk chute where the consumer uses their own receptacle.The building is capable of handling hurricane force winds and is sizedto place all components within an environment having a uniformtemperature.

An objective of the instant invention is to provide a self contained icevending apparatus placed within a controlled environment wherebyconsumers can purchase ice by the bag or in bulk by depositing aspecified amount of money.

Still another objective of the invention is to provide an ice vendingapparatus having a combination storage bin auger and ice crusher todeliver uniform ice to a vertically disposed sensor activated weighingbin.

Another objective of the invention is to teach the use of an ice vendingapparatus that can include a storage bin leveler to maximum ice storage.

Yet still another objective of the invention is to provide an icevending apparatus having a programmable logic controller that can beremotely monitored and adjusted to resolve most any fault issue, oroperated by remote activation.

Another objective of the invention is to provide an ice vendingapparatus having a sectional conveyor for ease of installation, with aconveyor belt constructed from food grade material.

Another objective of the invention is to provide an ice vendingapparatus having an improved bagger with a blower to open each bag tofacilitate bag filling.

Yet still another objective of the invention is to disclose an icevending apparatus having direct drive, gear driven motors to eliminatebelt and/or chain maintenance.

Still another objective of the invention is to provide an ice vendingapparatus having gear and pneumatically operated components timed tomake a series of sounds which can be replicated upon each cycle and usedto entertain as well as troubleshoot failures.

Still another objective of the invention is to provide an ice vendingapparatus that is modular for ease of installation, employs minimal legsto allow for ease of floor cleaning, and is fully contained within abuilding capable of hurricane force winds.

Other objectives and further advantages and benefits associated withthis invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from thedescription, examples and claims which follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of the automated ice vending apparatus.

FIG. 2 is an end view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the weighting bin.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the dispensing chutes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, set forth is the automated ice vendingapparatus 10 of the instant invention which consists of a frame 12having a structure of preassembled components that can be boltedtogether for ease of installation and designed to provide asubstantially clear floor area that eliminates areas that wouldotherwise trap debris. The frame 12 consists of vertical legs 13constructed and arranged to support a raised storage bin 14 used forreceipt of ice from an ice maker mounted above the storage bin. Ice fromthe ice maker is placed into the storage bin 14 thru receptacle 16wherein a leveling auger 18 distributes the ice evenly across the lengthof the storage bin 14 so as to maximize the holding capacity. In apreferred embodiment, the storage bin 14 is sized to hold approximately4,000 pounds of ice. A distributing auger 20 is placed within thestorage bin 14 and is used to move ice for positioning into a crusherbox 22 having a sized opening 24; the distributing auger 20 furtherpreventing the ice within the storage bin 14 from clumping shouldinfrequent use occur, and for evenly distributing the ice within thestorage bin 14. The sized opening 24 operates as the aperture to the topof the crusher box 22. Crusher augers 26 provide a uniform sizing of icereceived from the storage bin 14, and the crushed ice is gravity fedinto a weighting box 30 positioned directly below the crusher box 22.The weighting box 30 is constructed and arranged to measure apredetermined amount of ice for use in bagging or for delivery as a bulkload. For instance, once a consumer requests a bag of ice or a bulkamount of ice, the crusher augers 26 are operated until the weightingbox 30 reaches the designed weight, and the weighting box 30 thenreleases the ice.

The weighting box 30 is arranged to hold eleven pounds of ice as apreload. Upon initiation of operation, such as when a consumer calls forice, if the consumer seeks a bag of ice, then the weighting box 30 willfurther dispense five more pound of ice to deliver a sixteen pound bag.If the consumer is requesting bulk ice, then the weighting devicereceives another nine pounds of ice for a total unbagged delivery oftwenty pounds. It should be noted that the above preload can beeliminated, changed to any weight, or preloaded to the preferred sixteenpounds wherein four more pounds can be added if bulk transfer isrequested.

Upon receipt of a weight sensor 31 (FIG. 3) notification that theweighing box is holding the proper amount of ice, the ice is dispensedonto a conveyor 32 which causes the ice to move parallel beneath thecrusher box 22, lifted vertically through a conveyor flight 34 andplaced into bagger hopper 35. The conveyor 32 employs a flexibleconveyor belt 33 having at least one transfer tab 37 to push the icethrough the conveyor tunnel 34 to the bagger hopper 35. The conveyorbelt 33 is maintained in a predetermined tension by belt tensioner 39.Referring to FIG. 4, the hopper 35 places the ice into a bag, not shown,if so requested by the consumer wherein the bag is filled, tied anddropped into a bag chute 36 and delivered to the consumer at a bag chutedistal holding area 44. Should the consumer use their own bag orreceptacle (e.g. buckets, cooler), the ice is sent down a bulk chute 38to a distal end 40 of the bulk chute for receipt in the bag orreceptacle. Operation includes the use of diverter flap valve fordiverting the ice and allowing the hopper to dispense into the bagger orinto the bulk chute.

For purposes of safety, security, cleanliness, and providing acontrolled environment, the ice vending apparatus 10 and ice maker, notshown, are placed within a housing 100 wherein all components aremaintained at a refrigerated temperature. The only portions of the icevending apparatus placed outside of the housing 100 would be the distalend 40 of the bulk chute and the bag chute holder 44 and the face of thecoin receiving apparatus. A water dispenser 61 may provide purifiedwater from a water condition 63 for a fee. The purified water being usedas make up water for an ice maker, not shown.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the frame 12 includes either four or sixvertical support legs 50 and 52 using cross braces 54 and 56 to providestructural rigidity capable of holding the bin 14 above the floor 102 ofthe housing 100. Use of the four or six support legs provides modularityin installation and provides access to the floor area to maintaincleanliness of the housing as well as provide a solid structure mountingto the frame for increased rigidity and support. The support structure12 positions the storage bin 14, crusher box and weighting box 30 topermit modular installation. The illustrated storage bin 14 is shown ina square configuration, but may also have a rounded bottom to facilitatemovement of ice by the distributing auger 20 along a circumference asdepicted by numeral 60. A rounded storage bin facilitates ice movement,results in a continual turnover of ice, and eliminates stagnant iceareas.

Receptacle 16 is used for receipt of ice from an ice maker, wherein theleveling auger 18 moves the ice from the single point of introductionacross the surface of the storage bin 14 to maximize the holdingcapacity of the storage bin 14. Without a leveling auger 18 the icemaker would simply form a mound of ice and the storage bin 14 would nothold its full capacity. The leveling auger is optional and used toincrease storage capacity but is not required for use under maximumstorage capacity, that is, the leveling auger would not be needapproximately ninety percent of the time. While an ice maker is acritical component to any automated ice vending apparatus, there aredifferent ice makers that are commercially available and are suitablefor use with the ice vending apparatus; this invention is not to belimited to a particular commercial ice maker.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the weighting bin 30 having the sensors 31capable of detecting the weight of ice deposited into the weighting binbefore placement onto the conveyor 33 (shown in FIG. 1). As previouslystated, the weighting bin 30 is positioned beneath the crusher box 22which has at least one crusher auger 26 capable of producing a uniformsized ice particle directly before positioning into the weighting bin30. While the weighting bin 30 is operated in response to a programmedPCL and arranged to hold twenty pounds of ice or bulk, obviousvariations of this bin can be adjusted to meet the demands of the area.For instance, if the typical bulk is twenty five pounds, the bin can beadjusted accordingly and the controller adjusted to detect the higherweight. Similarly, the amount of bulk can be increased by simply runningadditional transfers, all of which can be programmed by use of aprogrammable logic controller 57. An evaporator 51 is placed within thehousing to control the humidity within the housing.

Each mechanical function described herein has a corresponding soundassociated with it, which vary by location, pitch, and frequency. Thisallows for efficiency of maintenance by allowing a maintenancetechnician to identify where a problem may be occurring based on whatsound is not being produced. Actuators are selected by function andparticular sound which is repetitive in operation. In this manner atechnician is able to hear the operation of each component to determinetiming, sequencing and general operational older.

Detailed embodiments of the instant invention are disclosed herein,however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments aremerely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in variousforms. Therefore, specific functional and structural details disclosedherein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis forthe claims and as a representation basis for teaching one skilled in theart to variously employ the present invention in virtually anyappropriately detailed structure.

All patents and publications mentioned in this specification areindicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which theinvention pertains. It is to be understood that while a certain form ofthe invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specificform or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that various changes may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to beconsidered limited to what is shown and described in the specificationand any drawings/figures included herein.

One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the presentinvention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain theends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. Theembodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein arepresently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended tobe exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changestherein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which areencompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by thescope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been describedin connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should beunderstood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited tosuch specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of thedescribed modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious tothose skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for distributing bulk or bagged icecomprising the steps of: initiating an operating program; activating acrusher auger within a crusher box to break ice from a reservoir intoroughly uniform pieces; dropping said ice pieces into a weighing box;measuring the weight of said weighing box with a scale; dropping saidice pieces from said weighing box onto a conveyor belt upon the weightof said weighing box reaching a predetermined weight based on saidoperating program; transporting said ice pieces on said conveyor belt toa dispensing chute; dropping said ice pieces into said dispensing chute,whereby a user can collect said ice pieces from said dispensing chute.2. The method for distributing bulk or bagged ice of claim 1, furthercomprising the step of depositing said ice pieces from said conveyorbelt into a bag within a bag hopper.
 3. The method for distributing bulkor bagged ice of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing aninitial weight of ice in said weighing box prior to initiation of saidoperating program.
 4. The method for distributing bulk or bagged ice ofclaim 3, further comprising the step of refilling said weighing box withsaid initial weight of ice after said ice pieces have been dropped ontosaid conveyor belt.
 5. The method for distributing bulk or bagged ice ofclaim 3, further comprising the step of shutting off said crusher augerwhen weighing box has been refilled to said initial weight of ice. 6.The method for distributing bulk or bagged ice of claim 1, furthercomprising the step of activating said conveyor belt upon said weighingbox reaching said predetermined weight.
 7. The method for distributingbulk or bagged ice of claim 6, further comprising the step of stoppingsaid conveyor belt after said ice pieces have been delivered though saiddispensing chute.
 8. A vending apparatus for dispensing bulk or baggedice comprising: a housing defined by a front and back wall, two opposingside walls, a top and a bottom, creating an interior space that isrefrigerated; an ice maker mounted said interior space, said ice makerhaving a outlet for dispensing ice; a storage bin within said interiorspace and positioned beneath said ice maker, said storage bin forreceipt of ice from said ice maker, said storage bin having an open top,two sets of opposing sidewalls, and a bottom, said bottom having anaperture constructed and arranged to pass a predetermined amount of iceto said storage bin; a crusher box coupled to said storage bin forcollecting a volume of said ice, said crusher box having opposingsidewalls, and a bottom side; means for crushing the ice intopredetermined sized pieces and passing said sized pieces through anaperture on said bottom side of said crusher box; a weighing box forreceipt of said crushed ice in response to a scale coupled to saidweighing box to measure the weight of said ice within said weighing box;means for depositing ice from said weighing box onto a conveyor beltwhen said scale measures a predetermined weight of ice, said conveyorbelt transferring the ice from a refrigerated section to a dispensingchute having a top aperture for delivery of bulk ice and a loweraperture for coupling to a bagger for delivery of ice within a bag. 9.The vending apparatus of claim 8 including a refrigeration means withinsaid interior space of said housing for regulating the temperaturewithin said housing and a portion of each said dispensing chute.
 10. Thevending apparatus of claim 8 including a programmable computer coupledto said crusher auger and said scale, said computer calculating theweight of the ice and timing of the crusher auger operation wherein upona predetermined weight of ice said computer releases said crusher augerto deposit said ice onto said conveyor belt and selection of either saidupper or lower aperture for delivery.
 11. The vending apparatus of claim10 further comprising an initiating mechanism on said housing, saidinitiating mechanism coupled to said computer for determining the amountof ice to be delivered and the type of delivery.
 12. The vendingapparatus of claim 8 including a diverter flap mounted within adispensing chute for directional deliver into either said top aperturefor delivery of bulk ice or said bottom aperture for delivery of baggedice.
 13. The vending apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a baghopper and at least one bag, constructed and arranged at said topaperture of said dispensing chute, whereby said conveyor belt depositssaid ice into said bag hopper and said bag being deposited into saiddispensing chute.
 14. The vending apparatus of claim 1 wherein saidcrusher box is positioned above said weighing box, said weighting box.15. The vending apparatus of claim 14 wherein said weighing box ispreloaded with a predetermined amount of ice to allow for fasterdelivery to said weighting box.
 16. The vending apparatus of claim 7wherein said weighing box is preloaded with a predetermined amount ofice to allow for faster delivery to said weighting box.